The saying that ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’ is so much actualized by Assam’s long-distance runner Abdul Barek. In his case, the ‘necessity’ was the money he desperately needed to buy food and books after his family farmlands were washed away by the mighty Brahmaputra.
“It was not out of love for a particular sport… I was born and brought up in a self-sufficient family in a rural hamlet in the Kamrup district. However, when our farmlands were eroded by the Brahmaputra, we were left with nothing for sustenance. The little produce from our livestock was not enough for the family. I was in standard IX when for the first time I participated in a Rongali Bihu Marathon in a nearby locality and came first in it to win prize money of Rs 1,000. Well, that was a lot of money for me! I could buy my school uniform and books with it.
“Now that I’ve discovered a way of earning and my family was in a very bad financial shape, I have started looking to every marathon event as a means to earn. I participated in every known event and would look for all the prize money up for grabs. Gradually, I developed a yearning for winning all possible cash prizes in marathons in Assam and the Northeast. And, for that, I started practicing regularly and improving my performance with each run,” Barek told Awaz-the Voice.
Abdul Barek (second from left) with fellow sportspersons from Railways
Barek craved newer heights in the no-cost sport. Having bagged scores of medals and trophies at state and national levels, his campaign culminated in the World Railways Athletics Meet at Denmark in 2005 where he emerged 10th in the individual event and third in the team event of the marathon championship. He is the first-ever sprinter from NF Railway to participate and win a medal in World Railways Meet.
“My success lies in my perseverance. I’ve never compromised with my practice. My job with NF Railway has helped me a lot because I don’t have to forgo practice due to household work as I did in the past … I would like to thank former international athlete Tayabun Nisha for suggesting my name to the Indian Railways which promotes sports. I had also appeared in interviews with Central Excise and Indian Army,” Barek explained.
On his success, Barek said: “Practice, rest, and nutrition are the key to performance. There was hardly any infrastructure during our times. But, after the 2007 National Games, we’ve got a whole lot of infrastructure and necessary facilities including coaches. However, the problem now is that our young players have lost interest in sports. The smartphone and fast food have spoiled a generation. Most of the youngsters nowadays munch on fast food, and keep themselves glued to their mobile phones when they should be at the playground.”
Abdul Barek in the international Railways sports meet
Regarding his food habits, Barek is a follower of cricketer MS Dhoni; both love to drink milk as an energy booster. “I used to drink a lot of milk. My father used to tell us to drink milk instead of water and that I used to do. I don’t like fast food and I’ve always preferred vegetables with our staple rice.” Barek also lamented that the urban youth were reluctant to do hard work. “Since I am based out of Guwahati and I am associated with an athletic academy, I always wanted to groom some good athletes. But, what pains me is that the rural youths can’t sustain long-term coaching and urban youths are reluctant to do hard work. A few very talented youngsters from Baihata Chariali and Morigaon were training under me for some time. But, they could not sustain the tough regime and left. One basic requirement of a marathon runner to be successful is to run at least 200 km a week which is divided into a scientifically designed schedule.”
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Youth / by Imtiaz Ahmed, Guwahati / May 04th, 2022
Musical duo Lucky Ali and Mikey McCleary, who first worked together on O Sanam, is collaborating again after almost 11 years for an album, Intezaar, the first song of which is out and trending.
Bengaluru :
Lucky Ali turns to music to express himself. He might never be in a hurry to create tunes, but Ali makes sure the wait is worth it. The singer is now out with his latest album Intezaar, which has touched over 2 million views.
Ali’s loungey music has always been popular among music lovers and Intezaar has something to it that makes it a crowd-puller too. The music of the album is by composer and long-time associate Mikey McCleary. The first time McCleary and Ali worked together was for the singer’s first album Sunoh in 1996, which created magic with the song O Sanam. The duo subsequently went on to work on many projects but is back together after a long break.
Ali says this is the first of many songs that is going to be out. “It’s an album, but we’ll be releasing one song at a time,” says Ali, adding that the composition was done a while ago but they were waiting for the right time to release it. The lyrics are by IP Singh which was a ‘new experience’ for Ali. “IP brings in more depth and has worked around the tunes,” he adds.
When the seasoned musical duo took a break from working together, 63-year-old Ali says it gave him time to explore live shows. “Music took me to live experiences where I overcame stage fright. Performing live was a new experience all together,” says Ali.
Meanwhile, McCleary has been a shining star in the Bollywood music scene, whose last project was in Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar-starrer The Sky is Pink. This song, for McCleary, has been about revisiting some of his older ideas. “Intezaar was actually an idea that we had worked on around 10 years ago. I was going through some of the older works and found a rough outline.
After developing the work, I showed it to Lucky who really liked it,” says McCleary, speaking to CE from New York. “I loved working on it because even if it is not a fast track, there is an uplifting feel to it. It’s a nice track that feels appropriate for the times we live in,” he adds.
In times where remixes are trending, McCleary’s music, especially his remix of Khoya Khoya Chand for the movie Shaitan in 2011, has revamped the notion of remixing old classics. “My interest in classics, like Hindi film songs from the ’50s and ’60s, came from my wife (Diksha Basu, an author), who used to play Geeta Dutt’s classics. She encouraged me to experiment with that and I started doing that as a passion project,” says McCleary.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Monika Monalisa, Express News Service / May 02nd, 2022
Hafiz Zainul Abid, a student of Jamia Markaz, Kozhikode has won the 6th rank in Dubai international Holy Qur’an Award.
The silver jubilee contest was presided over by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, where Hafiz Zainul Abid represented India from Kerala. He is the disciple of Sheikh Aboobakar Ahmed in Kozhikode Jamia Markaz studying Shariah and BA English.
Contestants from 65 countries worldwide have participated in the event, which started on 3rd April 2022. The contest is the largest Qur’an award in its kind in the world providing the biggest cash prize to the winners; 2.5 lakh dirhams to the first prize winner. Zainul Abid, only one contestant represented India won 6th Rank bagged 55,000 dirhams as cash prize along with certificates. .
Mr. Abid also participated in various international contests including the Tanzania international Holy Qur’an Award last year.
source: http://www.muslimmirror.com / Muslim Mirror / Home> Education> Postitive Story / by Muslim Mirror Network / April 29th, 2022
Gulbarga University has selected Yenepoya Abdulla Kunhi, chancellor of Yenepoya University, managing director of Yenepoya Group of Institutes and social and religious leader for an honorary doctorate.
The 39th and 40th convocation of the university will be held together and three people each have been selected for honorary doctorate. The honorary doctorate on Yenepoya Abdulla Kunhi will be conferred on the 40th convocation considering his immense achievements in the educational sector.
He has served as the trustee of Islamic Academy of Education, promoter of the Centre for Development Studies, president of Yenepoya Moidin Kunhi Memorial Educational and Charitable Trust, president of Malja-Ul-Islam English medium school, vice president of Badria Educational Institute, president of Takwa Open university, trustee of P A Education trust, president of Yenepoya Institute of Medical Sciences, partner in Moidin Kunhi and Company, managing director of Canara Wood and Plywood Industries, trustee of Yenepoya Saw Mills, convener of Yenepoya Vineers, partner in Yenepoya Transport company, partner in Yenepoya hotels, partner in Yenepoya Builders and Developers, president of Yenepoya Energy Private Limited and SLV Power Private Limited, chief promoter of Yenepoya Football Club, vice president of Islamic Trust, president of Malja-Ul-Islam Orphanage, president of Masjid Zeenath Baksh and Idga Juma Masjid, president of Islamic Cultural Centre, president of Karnataka Muslim Jamat, Dakshina Kannada district unit etc.
Yenepoya Abdulla Kunhi stays at Vas Lane in city his wife P K Nasreen. His two sons and two daughters are also serving in the Yenepoya group of organizations.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> National-World / by Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (EP) / April 25th, 2022
Sophore (Suvyyapur) Town (Baramulla District), JAMMU & KASHMIR :
Atiqa Bano
Atiqa Bano’s vision that the generations to come must know how people lived in Kashmir over centuries had made this retired Kashmiri educationist collect ancient households articles like hey mats (Waguv), multipurpose earthen pots, wooden doors, latches, and possibly all things used by humans over two centuries and create the first-ever private museum in the Valley.
Called “Meras Mahal” (The palace of heritage), it houses more than 5,000 artifacts reflecting the social and cultural life of Kashmir over two centuries.
Atiqa Bano standing in front of Meeras Mahal
Atiqa Bano passed away in 2017 and her family continued to struggle to maintain it and not let forces of Nature damage this treasure trove. However, they always lacked resources for this gigantic task.
Finally, Atiqa Bano’s love of her labour is all set for a major revamp and scientific conservation as this historic treasure had attracted the attention of the Indian National Trust for Art and Heritage (INTACH), J&K Chapter.
Atiqa Bano, an educationist, had made great efforts to collect the exhibits over two decades after she retired from the J&K Government services in 1998. A woman of strong resolve, Atiqaji, as she was popularly called, had taken to looking after her father after her mother’s death. She had chosen to remain single and devote her life to education, women’s welfare, and society.
Household items on display in Meeras Mahal
It was during her campaigns for women’s empowerment that she was drawn to the collection of rare kitchenware, old ornaments, agricultural tools, clothing, earthenware, and manuscripts lying around in many Kashmiri households. It dawned upon her that with the changing times, all these human inventions would be lost to time if not preserved for posterity.
She started collecting artifacts in 2002 and continued her mission till her death.
Atiqa Bano is gone from this world, but her memory and work is commemorated for posterity, and, as she wished, for the generations to come.
A collection of watches and eye glasses on display at Meeras Mahal
Realizing the importance of Atiqaji’s rich heritage collection, the J&K Chapter of INTACH and HELP Foundation have taken up the gigantic task of rejuvenating Meeras Mahal.
Saleem Beg, head of the INTACH, J&K Chapter, said, “Saima Iqbal and INTACH team are digitizing, curating and contextualizing the rich collection of vernacular objects after preventive conservation. The museum will have a thematic display demonstrated through sketches and write-ups supported by an elaborate digital presence.”
Saima Iqbal said, the work, supported by ALIPH- an international alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas, is getting streamlined. She stated that a team comprising a web designer, photographer, conservator, curator, and illustrator is working in tandem as all are interdependent and need to work in sync.
Earthenware used in Kashmiri households in Meeras Mahal
“I have to say that the challenges are many and we are making the best use of available meager resources here but the passion is alive and the project will be a great success”, she said.
“The first article preserved in the museum is Kondul, an earthen bowl that holds smoldering embers in Kangri, a personal and portable heating device of Kashmiri, said Muzamil Bashir Masoodi, Caretaker or (Honorary) President of the five-member Trust of prominent literary personalities, constituted to look after the museum.
Muzamil, who is also Atiqa Ji’s nephew had been taking a keen interest in maintaining and preserving the rare articles of the museum. The initially preserved items also included hand-written books of Ghulam Mohammad Hanfie, a scholar, Ateeqa Ji’s grandfather.
“All the items are counted one by one like 10 different Charkhas (spinning wheels) are counted as 10 separate items”, explained Muzamil.
The museum was initially set up in their private B. Ed College, Kashmir Women’s College of Education, at Noorbagh, Sopore. It was shifted in 2012 and called Meeras Mahal to a Hostel building of the College, at Highland Colony, where the rare items are “stored” due to the paucity of space.
Doors and windows used in Kashmiri architecture
Muzammil said that “we cannot provide the normal gap of at least two feet between the items”, which makes it difficult to maintain the entire treasure. “There has been no support from the Government”, he said. He said so far he has been getting a token amount from the college funds for maintaining the museum.
“During the Covid restrictions, when everything was closed, we managed to be in the museum to provide basic maintenance,” Muzamil said. He had submitted a detailed project report, for conservation and preservation of the museum to the UT Government in 2019.”
Nothing has came his way so far.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Culture / by Ehsan Fazli, Srinagar / April 11th, 2022
Whether it is a hundred-year-old dish Kuzi or Fish Salad or Badam Ka Kund or the Noorani Seviyaan, Shahnoor Jehan, the descendent of a Sultan of Yemen, dishes out these mystic 100-year old cuisines for the connoisseurs and the gourmands.
Even as the erstwhile nawabs of India deal with the loss of their titular legacy, tables laden with succulent meats, and the foods flavoured with freshly ground spices and their untranslatable code of tehzeeb- their last standing bastions of power, wealth, and heritage – Shahnoor Jehan, whose grandmother Muzaffar Unissa Begum hailed from the family of the Sultan of Yemen, has kept it alive.
Meeting this soft-spoken lady was a quiet grounding experience given her repertoire of knowledge on food.
Shahnoor Jehan with her daughter
Daughter of an IAS officer and wife of a very supportive businessman Adil Mirza, Shahnoor Jehan was also encouraged by her adorable children Shohrab Mirza and Nimrah Mirza to use her knowledge and the knowhow inherited from her blue-blooded family and preserve the 100-year-old recipes for posterity. Khassa, a food brand, is a reality because of the support Shahnoor Jehan got from her family.
Shahnoor Jehan says, “There’s a certain etiquette that embraces all nawabi culture. It’s not so much about the commonality of ingredients or dishes but the way the food is prepared and served and the way we host our guests. And for these families, it’s comforting if you understand that,” she says. “Khassa is just that.”
In earlier days people never said “food is ready’ while inviting guests to the table,; they would say but said “Khassa Taiyaar Hain.” Shahnoor Jehan has preserved her well-guarded recipes dating back to several generations.
A dish from Shahnoor Jahan’s cook book
Her cookbook which she has preserved to date from her school days takes on a narrative beyond food; it’s about legends, anecdotes, and antiquities that comprise heritage. It is this inherited legacy that has made her take up cooking as a passion and make it her business. “I think cooking was a hidden talent in me. Most of the time friends appreciating my cooking made me ponder over the possibility of taking it up as my profession and when my kids and family support came, I converted my culinary skills into a startup.”
“Till I got married, I never had any experience of cooking; it was only an interest. It was my grandmother and mother who inspired me initially and the realization and confidence that I can cook well came with the appreciation I got from my friends and family who eagerly awaited the indulgence. The original cuisine is slowly fading away. I kept up the tradition of preparing dishes on charcoal and grounding spices made by hand..”
Begum Shahnoor Jehan the granddaughter of Nawab Ahmed Baig and her Grandmother Muzaffar Unissa Begum shares a princely legacy of the Sultan of Yemen and her food is an amalgamation of Mughal, Turkish and Arabic and influences of Hyderabadi cuisine.
She has infused local foods like rice, wheat, and meat dishes and the skilled use of spices herbs, and natural edibles in Khassa,
Owner of brand Khassa, Shahnoor Jehan serves cuisines like mutton haleem, mutton Shikamaru, dum ka murgh, or whether it is her signature dish a hundred-year-old dish called the Kuzi- leg of mutton cooked in pure almonds, saffron, and spices like black pepper enriched further with dry fruits, sugar candy ( Rock Mishri ) saffron, and silver foil are steeped in history.
Shahnoor Jahan’s recipies
While Khassa has been in the limelight for its iconic Kuzi, mutton roast or the kebabs like Shikampoor Shahnoor has also drool-worthy desserts to her credit that you can never say ever! Whether they are the innovative desserts like the Noorani Seviyan or the most rich ones like the Badam ka Kund– a traditional Hyderabadi dessert rich in almonds infused with saffron and cooked for hours together to get that creamy finish.
Says Shahnoor Jehan some of the recipes are native but they have been prepared and perfected down the generations at Shah Manzil, which is the present-day Raj Bhavan (the official residence of the State Governor). They have been part of Shahnoors family legacy for generations over a hundred years of age Adds Shahnoor my maternal Grandmother Muzzafar Unissa Begum, the daughter of the Sultan of erstwhile Yemen, and her grandfather Nawab Ahmed Baig, the son of late Shehzoor Jung, was influenced prominently by the flavours of Yemen, where she was from. I picked up most of her techniques and recipes which were well guarded and preserved by Shahnoor Jehan’s mother Faiq Jehan Till date Shahnoor continues to preserve the diaries and books belonging to her royal family. She adds that while her mother has been an inspiration for her she did pick up a few techniques from her mother-in-law Shaheda Begum she adds.
Today this luxury dining has come alive with her cuisine “Khassa” which is offered to her customers by way of food based on orders from her customers. It is indeed a luxe dining experience as nothing is too extravagant at her end whether it is the use of the saffron or the almonds, or whether it is the use of gold and silver foil, they season most of her meals. Only the finest cuts of meat make it to your orders. Whether it is ordering the mutton roast -chunks of meat soaked in sauces, ginger garlic paste, pepper, and roasted or whether it is Kairi Ka Do Pyaaza chunks of meat cooked alongside with raw mangoes spices and silky onion gravy a seasonal specialty.
Shahnoor says some of her dishes are cooked languorously , sometimes for entire day-the dum (where food is cooked for hours over low heat in lagan and smoked with the piece of burning coals placed on top to flavor the food , and these remain her techniques of choice.
Shahnoor Jahan with Khassa
In the earlier days, the chefs or the bawarchis at her Shah Manzil sometimes specialized in just one dish. Kitchens were considered laboratories, and chefs artists were encouraged to experiment innovate and create. Today we are preserving this past heritage as an agenda. She recalls the Nawabs of yore were patrons of food, helping the food to evolve Now dining With The Khassa brings back some of the grandeur and is a beautiful reminder of the lavish brilliance of nawabi food.
Says Shahnoor Jehan we want to bring a culinary slice of Yemen and the Nawabs of Hyderabad at Khassa with dishes that resonate with our philosophy of cooking with the choicest of ingredients.
Her spread in her menu looks fit for a king. There are Shammi Kebab-succulent pieces of tender lamb cooked with spices a melt-in-the-mouth experience and the Mutton Shikampur, the iconic kebabs from the royal kitchens of Hyderabad. The main course consists of Tamatar ka Kut a classic Hyderabadi dish and a rich tomato gravy topped with mild temperate spices and boiled eggs. Mutton Dalcha, is an age-old recipe of mutton cooked with lentils and bottlegourd. There are classic dishes such as Chicken or Mutton Korma cooked in rich gravy sauce or the traditional Kairi Do Pyaza a tangy lamb preparation. Her signature dishes include Haleem, Kuzi, Fish Salad Mutton Roast, Dum Ka Murgh, or the Dum Ka Raan all slow-cooked in mild spices.
Also, there are desserts to die for whether it is the Zafrani Badami Kheer, Sheer Khorma, or the Qubani ka Meetha.
Khassa indeed brings the hidden treasures of food that is heavy on aroma and boasts of rich flavours that will hit the spot if you’re looking for a feast.
www.khassabyshahnoorjehan.com
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Culture / by Ratna G. Chotrani, Hyderabad / April 17th, 2022
Dr Zainul Aabideen, with his patient, a 5-year-old Ugandan girl.
Abu Dhabi/Thiruvananthapuram :
A Malayali doctor in Abu Dhabi wrote himself into record books when he performed the first pediatric stem cell bone marrow transplant in the UAE.
Dr Zainul Aabideen, a native of Kannur in Kerala, presently Head of the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Burjeel Medical City successfully performed the advanced allogeneic procedure on a five-year-old girl from Uganda with sickle cell disease.
Billed as the first such surgery done in the UAE, the patient’s 10-year-old sister donated her bone marrow for the transplant treatment at Burjeel Medical City, a flagship hospital of VPS Healthcare.
Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder, which results in an abnormality in the hemoglobin found in red blood cells, causing them to become sickle-shaped and leading to several complications including anemia, swelling in the hands and feet, frequent pain, acute chest syndrome, and sometimes stroke.
Prior to the treatment, the child has been regularly admitted to the hospital due to complications arising from her disease since birth.
“As this was a life-threatening condition, the only curative option was bone marrow transplantation. Before this procedure, the patient suffered a lot. The entire care team here at the hospital and the child’s parents are delighted that the transplant will relieve this pain from her life,” said Zainul Aabideen, who headed a team of highly specialised doctors, including a pediatric intensive care team, for the procedure.
The patient has responded well to the treatment and will be discharged in a few days after a five-week stay at the hospital.
Earlier, pediatric patients in the UAE who had to undergo allogeneic stem cell bone marrow transplants travelled to the US, the UK, India, and other European countries.
Zainul Aabideen, completed his MBBS from Calicut University in Kerala and a post-graduate degree in Pediatrics from the University of Mumbai.
He then moved to the United Kingdom to specialise and undertake further training in pediatric hematology, pediatric oncology, and pediatric bone marrow transplantation in various hospitals in the UK.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz / Home> Health / by awazthevoice.in / April 20th, 2022
Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman and Managing Director of VPS Healthcare Group, has announced a donation of AED1 million to the 1 Billion Meals initiative, the largest of its kind in the region, which aims to assist and provide sustainable food support to the underprivileged and most needy groups in 50 countries in the Middle East, North Africa and the world – in particular children, refugees, displaced persons, and victims of disasters and crises.
The 1 Billion Meals initiative, organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), provides food support in coordination with the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP), the Food Banking Regional Network (FBRN), the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment (MBRCH), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UAE Food Bank, as well as a number of local charity and humanitarian organisations in beneficiary countries.
Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil said: “We are honoured to contribute to the 1 Billion Meals initiative organised by MBRGI to provide aid and relief to those undernourished, which supports the global battle against hunger and represents the values of the UAE and its wise leadership in giving and expanding the scope of humanitarian work. This is especially true given the escalation of the global hunger crisis and the increase in the number of people affected by it, especially children, refugees, displaced persons, and victims of disasters and crises.”
The initiative, organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), is a continuation of last year’s 100 Million Meals campaign, which ended up distributing 220 million meals, prompting the new goal of one billion meals.
Donors can contribute to the 1 Billion Meals initiative through the following donation channels – the campaign’s official website: www.1billionmeals.ae; bank transfer to the campaign’s account at Emirates NBD, number: AE300260001015333439802.
Donors can also opt to donate AED1 a day through a monthly subscription by sending “Meal” or “وجبة” via SMS to 1020 on the du network or 1110 on the Etisalat network.
Donations can also be made through campaign’s call centre via a toll-free number 8009999.
Making amends for wrongs done requires compassion and a human touch, says Sandeep Virmani of Hunnarshala Foundation
In 2013, Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh experienced one of the worst communal riots in recent history. Some 62 people died and more than 50,000 were displaced.
Hunnarshala Foundation helped resettle about 250 families who could not return to their original villages. It was a challenging project for the not-for-profit organisation, which has been working with communities in the area of housing and infrastructure for over 20 years now.
Muzaffarnagar Diaries: A Post-Riot Resettlement Story talks of how the project fell in place. Sandeep Virmani, Executive Vice-Chairman of Hunnarshala, spoke about the importance of empathetic resettlement in the context of this project. Excerpts from the interview:
What is the magnitude of the problem of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in India?
IDPs are people displaced from their homes and communities due to natural disasters, conflicts or development projects. In India, at any given point, we have between 40 lakh and 80 lakh people living in camps, away from home. Of these, about 20,000 are displaced due to conflicts — ethnic, armed, communal, or even targeted violence. India consistently features in the 10 worst affected countries in the world. Conflict victims are the worst hit since invariably, the state is involved in abetting violence or allowing it to happen. For this reason, unlike after natural disasters, very few people come forward to help.
How does Indian law fall short when it comes to reparative justice, especially for victims of incidents such as the 2002 Gujarat riots or the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots?
Unlike cross-border refugees, IDPs don’t have any rights. Even though the Constitution requires the state to take responsibility for the safety of its citizens, there are no laws, policies, or statutory frameworks for reparative justice. The UN has ‘The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement’ but these are not binding. Consequently, almost every such event requires the intervention of the courts to provide justice.
Ruins of a house in Kutba, Muzaffarnagar, after the riots.
The government grants compensation; ₹15 lakh was given per family after the Muzaffarnagar riots. But you call this the ‘compensation trap’?
Invariably, governments directed by the courts want to weigh the losses of IDPs financially and get away with compensation. While compensation for families who lost a member was raised to ₹15 lakh, displaced families who will never be able to return to their villages got ₹5 lakh. But making amends for wrongs done, so that the scars of displacement and loss are healed, requires compassion and a human touch. It requires apology, handholding until they are physically settled, integrated into a new society, so that they and their children can let go of fear. The shock and betrayal, sometimes even unfounded guilt, never leaves one.
When you took up this project, you went to Kutba to see the ruins of the destroyed homes. Can you talk a bit about the ‘culture of spaces’?
The design and skills used in building homes is the collective cultural expression of a community’s values. When you lose everything, you look for hope in two places: community and expression. The process of rebuilding provides both. However, after incidents like the Muzaffarnagar and Shamli riots, most families were scattered in unfamiliar places. It became difficult for them to get new homes. Most used the compensation to rebuild livelihoods and get some land but could not build homes. We helped the community procure land together, so that they were reunited. Giving a house is charity; one is grateful, but it doesn’t rebuild lost confidence. And, invariably, donors and governments give ‘modern’ houses, disregarding cultural moorings.
We wanted to understand their histories, ways of living, skills, aesthetic expressions, identities, before we facilitated the rehabilitation. So, we went to their old village in Kutba. It was difficult; there was fear of the dominant Hindu community, at whose hands they had experienced betrayal, violence, death. People with whom they had lived over generations, people who had convinced them not to migrate to Pakistan in 1947. A mason named Nawab finally agreed to take us there with police escort.
The central stairway in a new house built in Kairana, Shamli district (the ‘chulha’ or stove keeps changing places).
We found a unique lifestyle. For example, the khat (bed) determines the width of the veranda and even the staircase (it is carried to the first floor). The chulha (stove) shifts through the year from kitchen to veranda to courtyard. The old men sit at the juncture of street and house in a unique space called the ‘gallery’. The mother-in-law sits at the other end of the gallery, at a spot from where she can see every part of the house. The sitting room must be accessed straight from the street through a separate door. The houses always have potential for expansion to make room for newly-weds. Families make intricate patterns on coloured cement oxide floors with stencils made from newspapers. They mould concrete into aesthetic forms. The more elaborate the gate, the more the prestige… we found many such features.
A new house in Arya Puri, Muzaffarnagar district, for a rehabilitated family. The house incorporates the classic archways and verandah and makes room for the all-important ‘khats’ (cots).
Your book speaks of how the villagers rejected open-brick facades for painted concrete. Is it a challenge to promote low-cost or green building in the hinterland?
On the contrary, villages are familiar with the advantages of, say, earthen walls or mud mortar for putting bricks together. It is possible to have an informed conversation with them, unlike urban people who reject such technologies based on bias or get fixated on a technology even when not appropriate. In rural homes, many parts of the house are left unplastered due to lack of funds, so exposed material has a different connotation — it means poverty. That is why they wanted to plaster and colour their walls.
Western UP is a seismic zone, but existing building practices are poor due to lack of resources; there is hardly any foundation, very thin mud mortar walls hold up heavy roofs. One shudders to think of earthquakes. We insisted on increasing costs by 15-20% to ensure safe housing. The villagers are extremely proud of this; they say they have the strongest homes in the city now.
Sandeep Virmani of Hunnarshala Foundation.
What is the nature of the partnership you entered into with the community?
In Shamli, we signed an agreement with each family articulating the roles of the family, the rehabilitation committee, and our organisations. We financed one room, the staircase, and the sanitation. The families paid for the rest.
Misereor Germany gave funding and HT Parekh Foundation supported all sanitation work. It was the government’s responsibility to provide roads, water and electricity, but finally we had to raise money for that too. The villagers were extremely resourceful. They got cheap material and support from former employers. Many local people helped, including a supplier who not just gave extensive credit, but also cash when funding was delayed.
NGOs Sadbhavana and Vanangna supported the rehabilitation committee to ensure that children gave their board exams in their old exam centres and didn’t lose a year. We helped with enrolments into schools, new identity papers, and resuming pensions. We also conducted psycho-social counselling with the children to help them overcome the trauma of loss and separation.
You insisted, for instance, that women be part of the Rehabilitation Committee. Do you think such interventions can have a lasting impact on social mores?
When a big social upheaval happens, it provides opportunities for making paradigm shifts in social norms such as patriarchy. Women are ready to change their roles in a new location where everyone has to contribute; men are ready to turn a blind eye to women in unconventional roles. This provides women the opportunity to not only demonstrate their abilities but also assure men that it doesn’t threaten them. For instance, women are very good at bringing consensus on difficult decisions. It particularly helps the girl child, as they see what is happening and adopt the changes permanently.
And what did you in turn learn from these families?
Perhaps the biggest contribution from the IDPs of Muzaffarnagar has been the building of the daat chat or shallow domes. When we visited the old homes in Kutba, we saw an array of beautifully crafted roofs made with bricks. These roofs look flat but are in fact very shallow domes, where all the bricks are in compression. It allows for flattening the top of the roof and building another storey on top. The masons who build these roofs are expert craftsmen. The importance of the shallow dome roof is that it can reduce the use of cement and steel by 70-75%. This is important; these two contribute most to carbon emissions from the building industry. The roof is cheaper than RCC and more durable. We saw homes with roofs that are 300-400 years old!
We researched and tested the roofs for seismic safety and invited the artisans to share their knowledge at a national conference in Delhi. Since then, many architects are adopting the shallow dome. Artisans are invited to architecture schools to demonstrate and teach the next generation.
Perhaps this is a befitting recognition of a culture and a people who did not deserve to be violently removed from their ancestral homes.
vaishna.r@thehindu.co.in
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society – In Conversation / by Vaishna Roy / April 16th, 2022
By the time Mohammed Javed participated in his first Ironman competition, he was already 53 – an age when most people have begun making retirement plans.
But, for Javed, now a lithe 62, the Ironman competition in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, in March 2015, marked the beginning of a new life: one that took him on globe-trotting adventures around the world as he participated in more such challenges in France, Germany and Malaysia, among others.
“These are all ‘finisher’ medals,” he told the GDN proudly, pointing to an array of medals he brandished in one hand. “They are given to every athlete that participates in these competitions, regardless of which position they finish in.”
Given the tough nature of the Ironman Triathlon, which requires a 3.8km swim, a 180.2km bicycle ride and a marathon 42.2km run to be completed in under 17 hours, Javed had every reason to beam as he did.
“Even though it was my first Ironman,” he said, referring to the Port Elizabeth event, “I completed it in just over 14 hours and came seventh in my age category. I was extremely happy to just be able to participate in it and to complete it in the time that I managed was the icing on the cake, especially after the really taxing swim in the very rough sea.”
He repeated the feat in Malaysia, almost mirroring the time he managed in South Africa and actually bettered that in the next Ironman he registered for, which was in Nice, France.
Outperform
“It was just by a few minutes and still just over 14 hours,” Javed laughed. “But, as every athlete will tell you, when you compete in such events, you’re not just competing with others, you’re also trying to outperform your previous attempt and trying to improve on it. So I was really happy about that.”
As someone who is essentially only a part-time athlete juggling a full-time job with his passion for running, Javed explained, he approached every competition with the clear understanding that winning was never an option – and that, just the thrill of being able to participate would have to do.
“There’s no way that someone like me, who works 12-14 hours and only gets a couple of hours to train every day, could hope to compete with elite, professional athletes, who are able to devote every day of the year to their training,” he added.
“But, again, I am so happy and blessed that I have been able to participate in these competitions, rub shoulders with those athletes, watch how they go about their business and learn and apply that to my own preparation.
“It’s all due to the very generous support I have been given by my benefactors who have sponsored me and enabled my participation in these events. I am especially grateful to the late Shaikh Ebrahim bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, who was the chairman of Bahrain Road Runners for over a decade, and the very generous Fouad Hussain Showaiter. Both these gentlemen went out of their way to financially support my participation in all these international events.”
The biggest blessing, Javed said, as he looked back on the 40 years he has spent in Bahrain since arriving here as a 22-year-old from Karnataka, India, in 1982, is the opportunity he’s had to grow and flourish as an athlete.
When he first landed in Bahrain, he worked initially as a labourer before a leading construction company hired him as a heavy machinery operator. Then, in 1989, he applied to a leading hotel and was hired in housekeeping and soon made the transition to bell captain.
And then, came the first of many lucky breaks. “The hotel used to have inter-department sports competitions,” Javed said. “I took part in one – a 3km race – and I finished it in 9 minutes 27 seconds. That was it – the trajectory of my life changed from then on.”
The hotel’s general manager was so impressed by his performance that he decided to encourage Javed by granting him access to the health club and swimming pool – usually only allowed to hotel guests and top management.
“I was always a good sportsman – in fact, I was, and still am, a good cricketer too,” Javed explained. “And, suddenly, my athletic ability had a chance to be nurtured and prosper. So I really focused on long-distance running after that. I had run sprints – 100m, 200m – in school, but this was a different ball-game altogether.”
He started participating in every long-distance race that took place in the kingdom, thereafter, and eventually ended up becoming a member of the Bahrain Road Runners, a group that focuses on long-distance running and cross-country races.
“I never missed a single race,” Javed exclaimed, proudly. “Triathlons, biathlons, duathlons, aquathlons … you name it, I participated in it! And I won most of them!”
Now, though, despite the fact that he is still running competitively – he just took part in a Half Ironman event in Dubai in March – Javed is grappling with a difficult decision.
“The last few years have been a bit tough, professionally,” he said, contemplating his medals which he had spread out on a table. “Especially after Covid-19 and now, while I do have a job with a food delivery company, I’ve decided to go back to India next month.”
Then, he perked up again.
“While it would be nice to go back to my village and live a quiet life,” he grinned, “I know I won’t be able to run competitively again. And so, just when I thought I’d made up my mind definitively about moving back, I received a call just today from one of my benefactors who urged me to consider staying back so that I could compete in more competitions. So, maybe, I’ll do that instead!”
source: http://www.gdnonline.com / GDN Online, Gulf Daily News / Home> Other Sports / by Adnan Sipra / April 16th, 2022
